It doesn’t look like Stephen Sommers will return for G.I. Joe 2

January 5, 2011 - By Liam Goodwin

After G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra made over $300 million in 2009 Paramount decided to move forward with a sequel, and hired Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick in early 2010 to start work on a script. At the time there were whispers that Stephen Sommers wouldn’t return to direct, however last summer it was reported that he was back on-board.

Now The L.A Times has word that “two agents who represent other filmmakers have said they’d recently been approached about their clients coming on to helm the movie and were told that Sommers would not be getting behind the camera.”

No mention of who those directors are, but producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said filming on the sequel would likely take place in spring 2011 for a summer 2012 release, so the new director may be announced soon. Whoever it is should do better than Sommers who received 34% on Rotten Tomatoes for his efforts.

Bonaventura also said that while all the cast were great, “it’s hard to manage as many characters as we tried” and that “it would make life a little easier to have a few less.” This could mean Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and other members of the cast may not be returning.